Thursday, September 9, 2010

Eldritch: Layline 017

So, anywho, about this page… Hooray Todd! Some people might remember him from Hot Shot Todd: [link] which was an early test run to see how people would react to the world of Eldritch and some of the characters (Back when this was going to be strips instead of pages!) There’s a part of me that really feels I lose something between the novel-format seen in that test run, and the actual script for the comic. I try my best to make for a balance between text and picture, depending on the situation, but, well, what can ya do? Anywho, Todd’s been changed around somewhat… but is still the same old Todd at the end of it all.
Now… as for what Todd IS… just to clarify, he really means it when he says he’s a fairytale critter. Todd is, essentially, a Big Bad Wolf. In fact, it is Todd’s involvement in the plot that drove the decision to have Faith’s wardrobe always incorporate red in it (as opposed to just the first scene where she’s attacked), and why in this book, she’s wearing a little red (Riding) hoodie. (My friends in real life sometimes see me in a red hoodie, with wolf tribals on it XD) See, if you haven’t guessed, Little red Riding Hood is my favorite Fairytale. In fact, a favorite older piece of mine is Lil’ Red: [link] Which served as a precursor to Faith’s character.
Anyway, I have always been fascinated with the older, darker versions of the Riding Hood tale. For some reason, some of the folks I know seem to think that the story is German, and the ‘original’ version of the story was from the Grimm Brother’s Fairytales, but I’m talking about stories older than that, the ones that haunted the French countryside’s sewing circles, and was a much more adult tale. In fact, if I understand correctly, the earliest published version of the tale was recorded by Charles Perrault. In earlier stories, the Big Bad Wolf was referred to as a “Bzou,” which was a French term that meant werewolf. However, the French also have the more well-known Loup-Garou. What can I say, the French are freaking awesome when it comes to werewolf lore. Anyway though, for Eldritch, rather than make the Bzou another form of werewolf, strictly speaking… I’ve made the Bzou something similar, yet not to be confused with, the Loup-garou. What these similarities and differences are, I feel are predictable, but I will reveal them in time.
Anyway, for further reading on Little Red Riding Hood You may want to pick up a copy of Catherine Orenstein’s Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked.